Improvement in stretching-boards foriregs of pantaloons



`E. F`. SMITH. Stretching Bo-ardfor Legs ofPantaloons. No.124,91'6.

Patented March 26', i872.

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A'rnnr ELLIOT Ii. SMITH, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN STR-ETCHvl'NG-BOARDS FOR`L`EGOF PANTALOONS.

Specification forming'part of LottersPatent No. 124,916, dated March 26,1872.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOT F. SMITH, of Salem, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inStretching-Board for Legs of Pantaloons;

and I` do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection withthe drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specifica tion, isa description of my invention suficient to enable those skilled in' theart to practice it.

In the manufacture of pantaloons or trousers it is now customary toshrink and stretch the cloth at the front part of the bottom ot' eachleg to I'orm what are known as spring-bottom legs. lVhen the legs ofsuch pantaloons bestretcher blocks inserted in each leg, the outer edgeof one block being placed a-gainst the center of the back ofthe leg andthe, outer edge of the other block against the center of the front,(such edges boing made otl proper form for this purpose,) and betweenthe inner and adjacent edges ot' these blocks I drive a wedgel or key,which serves to spread the blocks and to stretch and distend the legupon the blocks, the garment being then hung up and allowed to remain agreater or less time, sufficient for the cloth to become dry or againformed with a permanent set, the weight upon the legs at the same timedrawing down and stretching into form the whole length of leg. It is insuch formers or stretchers, and their employment to impart or restorethe forms to the legs ot pantaloons, that my invention consists.

'Ihe drawing represents, at A, one of the legs of a, pair of pantaloonsprovided with such stretcher or former blocks, and a pair of the blocksseen in elevation at B, and in crosssection at (ht-he section beingtaken in the plane of the line ao x.

a denotes the pantaloon-leg; b, the springfront atthebottom of theleg.cdenotes thefront former-block, having a front edge, d, curved tocorrespond to the curve at the front of the leg when the leg iscollapsed midway of the seam.

e denotes the other block, the rear edge of lwhich is shaped inaccordance with the shape of the leg at the back. The adjacent edges ofthe two blocks are straight, and between them, when they are insertedinto the leg, is driven the key or wedgef, which forces the blocks apartand stretches upon them the leg,

distendin g the cloth and bringing it to proper shape. The pantaloonsbeing hung up with the stretchers in the legs and allowed to remain asuitable time, the legs will be reshaped at bottom as perfectly asthough pressed by a tailor. The blocks may be used to bring the legs toshape only after being wet and wrinkled, or maybe constantly used, whenthepantaloons are hung up, to preserve the proper shape of the legs.They' may also be used as boards upon which to press the legs with aniron, they being made iiat on the sides, as seen at C, to receiveproperly the action ot' a heated pressing or sad iron; and they may,also, be used inmaking pantaloons, to impart the requisite form to thelegs. Blocks ot different shapes may be used for different styles ofpantaloons;

but for various sizes of one style a pair of The inblocks of one shapewill be sufficient. ner edges of the blocks may be grooved and the wedgemade with tongues or tenons toenter said grooves, and the wedgemay bemade of such length as to enable the same blocks to be used for legs ofvarious sizes. At the upper end of each block a spring, g, may beattached to prevent the formation of sharp bends at the points where theblocks begin to act upon the cloth.

I claim- 1. The stretchers or former-blocks for distending and reshapingthe legs of pantaloons, when made with ilat sides and with edges havingrounded angles or corners, and outlines suited to give the desired shapeto the bottoms of said legs, when provided with awedge suited to thethickness of the blocks, and adapted for insertion between their partslso as to expand them, substantially as shown and described.

2. Also, the springs g attached to the blocks, substantially as shownand described.

l E. F. SMITH. Witnesses:

FRANCIS GOULD,

M. W. rFRoIHnaeHAM.

